Machine for perfecting ingots



F. s. GASCHE. MACHINE FOR PERFECTING INGOTS.

dented Data 21, 1920.

- 2 SHEETS-ENE I.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 19H- F. G. GASCHE.

MACHINE FOR PERFECTING INGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1917.

1,362,988 Patented Dec. 21,1920,

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES FERDINAND G. GASGHE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR PERFEG'IING INGOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed July 17, 1917. Serial No. 181,005.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND G. GAsomi, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county Illinois, have invented a new, useful, and Improved Machine for Perfecting Ingots, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to improvements in ingot perfecting machines which operate laterally to compress the ingot as typified by the mechanism shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 131,261, filed November 14, 1916 and my invention relates more particularly to mechanism for perfecting large and heavy in ots.

he general object of my invention is to provide simple and durable mechanism whereby large and heav ingots can be expeditiously perfected. ther objects of my invention are to provide means whereby the ingot can be acted upon or perfected without removal from the carriageand stool upon which it rests, after removal fromthe mold ;to providemeans which will act upon the ingot without disturbing the position of the ingot, and the stool; and to provide means whereby ingots of rectangular crosssection,.other than square, as well as square ingots, can be treated without objectionable side thrusts, z. e., to provide means whereby the resultant of the compressive forces shall act approximately along the center line of the compressing machine.

My invention consists generally in the form, construction, arrangement and cooperation of the parts whereby the above named objects, together with others which will appear hereinafter, are attainable and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate mechanism which I have thus far found to be best adapted to the accomplishment of the objects in view.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of mechanism embodying my invention, the parts being in position ready for the act of compressing an ingot, the view being taken substantially along line 1-1 of Fig. 2;-Fig. 2 is a view substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;-'

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the compressor, a portion of one of the clamping nuts bemg 1n sect1on;Fig. 4: is a central, vertical sectlon substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. ;-and Fig. 5 is a plan View of the gripping portion of the machine adapted to the compression of ingots of rectangular cross-section, other than square.

My invention relates primarily to the steel 1n dustry, and I shall therefore describe it with particular reference thereto. The steel ingots are poured and cast in molds which are mounted upon a devicecalled a stool carried by a buggy, and when the ingots have sufliciently solidified to maintain their shape, the molds are removed, and the ingot, stool, and supporting buggy moved from the stripping position, to the position or house where they are perfected or squeezed under high pressure. In commercial practice these ingots vary in size, some of the larger ones weighing many tons, and it is particularly with reference to these larger heavier in ots that the present invention is concerned. he structure required for the lateral compression of such large heavy ingots is of such massiveness as to require, preferably, a fixed location. The transportation of the ingot to the compressor or perfecting mechanism may be carried out by means of a suitable traveling crane, but this would involve the removal of the ingot from the buggy and particularly from the stool upon which it rests, with the attendant danger that the ingot could not be properly seated upon the stool after its treatment in the perfecting machine. I therefore prefer to provide a suitable lift and platform, centrally located beneath the opening between the compressor clamps, and by which means the ingot, buggy, and stool remaining mutually undisturbed may be raised until the ingot is centrally located between the clamps of the machine. In order to preserve the ingot in its vertical position, and to obviate all relative displacement of the ingot and stool, it is Detail description of machine structure.

. Referring now to the drawings, 2-2-' are main yokes or cross-heads, which are con,-

exterior surfaces of the plungers, as shown.

at 5, and 8, thus making unnecessary the use of objectionable piston rings set in grooves in the surface of the plungers. 11 is a rod extending from and pivotally mounted upon a wrist pin, 11, in'the plunger, 8,

' the other end of which is pivotally secured to the upper portion of lever, 12, arranged for oscillation upon a suitable pivot, 12, carried in a support, 21, upstanding from the base of the machine. 13 is a rod which is pivotally connected by pivots, 13, and 13 to the lower part of the lever, 12, and to the cross-head, 2, that carries the main cylinder head, 4. In order to absorb any undue relative movement of .the parts, the rod, 13, is provided with a spring connection, 14, which includes telescoping sections, 15 and 16 and an inclosed spring, 17. As the cylinder head, 4, yoke,-2, and associated parts are extremely heavy and massive, it is desirable that they be arranged for relatively easy sliding movement. To this end I provide suitable rollers, 18, operating in asuitable causeway, 19, carried upon the bed plate, 20, of the machine. The other cross-head, 2', and parts carried thereby, are also mounted for similar movement on rollers and other parts that bear similar reference characters.

Referring again to the detail structure of the head, yoke and associated parts, 10, is a heavy pipe or tube which is securely attached to the back of the main cylinder, 4, and which projects through the yoke or cross-head, 2, thus surrounding a large portion of the piston rod, 9, forming a bearing therefor at 10. This pipe, 10, not only provides a bearing for the piston rod, 9, but it also provides means whereby the piston rod can be easily packed, as by gland, 10". A gland 10" is also provided for packing the pull-back cylinder, both glands 1( and 10" being located in the connecting member, 10, access to which can be conveniently had by opening,'10 The ingots to be operated upon are often somewhat irregular in shape, and it is therefore desirable that the clamps or jaws be so made as automatically to adapt themselves to the surface or face of the ingot. In the drawings, 1717, are the clamps of a form suitable for compression of ingots of square cross-section, which clamps are secured to bearing blocks,

able valves and other devices.

16,-1 6, having bearing surfaces, ail-30, respectively, which bearing surfaces are either of spherical or cylindrical shape to permit slight swinging movement of the clamps, as necessary to adapt themselves 'to the ingot faces. The ingot clamps, 1717, are mounted by means of wrist pins, 31-31, in members, 32-32, carried by the tension rods, 33. The center of curvature of the cylindrical or spherical surfaces, 30-30, of the blocks, 16- 16, is also the center of the wrist pins, 3131. The bearing block 16, engages a member, 33, which is rigidly secured to the main plunger, 5, and the block, 16, engages a member, 34, which is rigidly secured to the cross-head, 2.

The main plunger, 5, and the pull-back plunger, 8, are operated by suitable hydraul1c pressures communicated thereto by pipes, 41--42, respectively, and controlled by suit- It is not thought necessary to illustrate the hydraulic mechanism as no claim is here made thereto.

The operation of the device.

Let us assume that the ingot has been placed uponits buggy, 50, and stool, 51, and that the buggy, stool and ingot have been placed upon the platform, 53, of the hoist, 54, which hoist is located centrally below the normally open jaws of the squeezer. The hoist is then operated to elevate the buggy, stool and ingot until the top of the ingot appears above the clamps of the machine substantially as indicated in the drawings. At this time high pressure is exerted in the main cylinder, 4, the ultimate result of which is to move the jaws toward one another powerfully compressing the ingot and reaching a state of rest substantially in the position shown in Fig. 4. Let us now trace the operations including the releasing of the clamped ingot and the squeezing of a new one.

To release the jaws or clamps the pressure is relieved in the main cylinder, 4, and the plunger, 8, of the pull-back cylinder is subjected to pressure communicated through the connection, 42, causing movement of the plunger, 8, which in turn causes a corre sponding movement of the main plunger, 5, through the medium of the connecting rod, 9. Movement of the plunger, 8, ultimately causes movement of the yoke, 2, and connected parts through the medium of levers and rods, 11, 12, and 13, replacing them in 1,see,eaa V j a slidable upon the tension rods, 3-3. Thus and associated parts, have been given numwhen the clamps have been removed, and the ingots freed, the hoist is lowered until the platform is again on a level with the floor tracks, at which time the carriage or buggy is removed to provide for the next buggy and ingot, which is positioned, hoisted and the ingot positioned between the jaws of the machine. Pressure is then exerted in the main cylinder, 4, the result of which is to move the piston, 5, and clamp carried thereby in the direction of the ingot and at the same time to move the yoke, 2, and cylinder, 4, in the opposite direction. The yokes, it will be understood, roll upon the anti-friction rollers, 18. The movement of the yoke, 2, causes a corresponding movement of the tension rods, 33 to which it is attached resulting in a similar movement of the yoke, 2, carried at the opposite end of the tension rods. In this manner the opposed jaws or clamps are simultaneously moved in opposite directions, an equal distance ultimately engaging the ingot and compressing it as ,desired. It is obvious that the equal and opposed movements of the jaws will not tend in any way to disturb the position of the in got upon its stool, simply exerting the comressive force necessary to perfect the ingot. Vhile the yoke, 2, and connected parts are moving in one direction, the pull-back plunger, 8, is moving relatively in the opposite direction by virtue of the connecting members, 13, 12, and 11. It will be understood that the yokes, 2-2', are fixed against relative movement on the tension rods, 3-3, by means of the massive clamp nuts, 60, which bind the yokes against opposed collars, 61-61, carried by the tenslon rods, 3-3'. Thus the extremely heavy massive ingots can be successively treated in relatively rapid sequence, with a minimum of labor and without disturbing the position of the ingot upon its carriage.

Treatment of ingots 0 f rectangular cross section other than, square.

In steel practice, it frequently happens that ingots of rectangular cross section, other than square, are to be perfected or operated upon and this presents another problem. It is desirable when operating upon such an ingot that the clamps shall so embrace it, and that the forces acting upon the lngot shall be so disposed, as to avoid objectionable side thrusts and also avoid any tendency to rotate the ingot upon its axis. To this end I have devised extremely simple means whereby the resultant of the forces acting upon the ingot are exerted substantially along the center line of the machine. This novel means will be better understood by reference to Fig. 5 which illustrates the jaws acting upon an ingot of rectangular crosssection, other than square. The jaw clamps,

bers corresponding in the other views of the drawings. The ingot, 52, in this instance, is of rectangular cross-section, a, b, 'c, d, and of which the side, ab, is the greatest. I place 70 liners, 7 0 and 71, in the portions of the clamps, facing the sides, ab and do of the ingot, and of such thickness that the combined sections of both the ingot and liners 1s senslbly that of a square having a length, ab, for its side. It will thus be seen that the compressive forces of the jaws upon the lngot, will be exerted substantially along the center line of the machine. By providing a relatively few liners of different thicknesses, lngots of various rectangular cross sections, other than square, can be readily operated upon with substantially the same facility as square ingots and without in any substantial degree submitting the ingot to forces tend- 5 ing to rotate it upon its axis.

Inasmuch as this disclosure will readily suggest to any one skilled in the art to which 1t appertalns, various modified structures whereby the substantial objects and purposes of my invention may be attained, I do not wish it to be limited to the specific structure or arrangement herein shown and described,

except only as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims.

I claim- 1. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, normally spaced jaws carried upon slidable members, a lift located centrally beneath the spaced jaws of a character suitable to elevate a heavy ingot into position betweenthe jaws, and means for causing equal approaching movement of the aws.

2. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising in combination normally spaced jaws carried upon slidable members, a lift located centrally beneath the spaced jaws of a character suitable to elevate a heavy ingot into position between the jaws, means for causing equal approaching movement of the jaws, and means for causing equal separating movement of the jaws.

3. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced yokes mounted upon anti-friction rollers, tension rods connecting the spaced yokes, main and pull back plungers carried by one of said yokes, means connecting the yoke and pull back plunger whereby movement of the pull back plunger under pressure causes movement of both yokes in the opposite direction.

4. The hereln described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced slidable yokes mounted on anti-friction rollers, tension rods connecting said yokes, a main plunger carried 130 by one of the yokes and so positioned that when subjected to pressure movement of the yoke as well as the plunger results.

5. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced slidable yokes mounted upon anti-friction rollers, tension rods connecting the yokes, a main plunger carried by one of the yokes and so positioned that when subjected to pressure movement of the yokes as well as the plunger results, an ingot gripping jaw carried by the main plunger. and an ingot gripping jaw carried by the opposite yoke.

6. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced slid-able yokes mounted upon anti-friction rollers, tension rods connecting the yokes, a main plunger carried by one of the yokes and s0 positioned that when subjected to pressure, movement of the yokes as well as the plunger results, an ingot gripping jaw carried by the main plunger, and an-ingot gripping jaw carried by the opposite yoke, said jaws being mounted upon their supports for rotation in a single plane.

7. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced slidable yokes mounted upon anti-friction rollers, tension rods connecting the yokes, a main plunger carried by one of the yokes and so positionedthat when subjected to pressure movement of the yokes as well as the plunger results, an ingot gripping jaw carried by the main plunger and an ingot gripping jaw carried by the opposite yoke, said jaws carrying wrist pins ivotally resting in suitable supports.

8. he herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in

'resting in a portion of the frame fixed relative to the tension rods.

9. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines comprising, in combination, spaced members, and opposed jaws having swivel bearings thereon whereby the jaws automatically adjust themselves to the ingot faces, when forcibly presented thereto.

10. The herein described improvement in ingot perfecting machines for operating upon ingots of rectangular cross section other than square, comprising in combination opposed jaws defining a substantially square opening, and liners affixed to the opposed jaws, whereby the opening defined by the jaws and liners is of rectangular shape other than square and of the size to accommodate the desired ingot.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of July, 1917.

FERDINAND G. GASCHE. 

